kicked—and tried to speak.
“I’m … just doing … what you created me to do … ”
The pressure subsided slightly. Still suspended in midair, Rusher watched Daiman step toward him. Mismatched eyes looked up. “What?”
Rusher’s mind racing, his mouth moved to match. “Having autonomous forces was your idea. We were created for the purpose. Your purpose!”
Daiman lowered his hand, and his victim dropped violently to the floor. Blond eyebrows tilted in amusement. “ Tell me the purpose,” Daiman said, smirking.
Ignoring the shooting pain in his shin from the roughlanding, Rusher fought to get to his knees. “We look different. You can’t send your regular forces ahead to Gazzari without him sensing a trap—”
“Any ship can be disguised!”
“—and the truth is,” Rusher said, shifting gears, “you’d rather rent than own!”
“What in blazes are you talking about?”
“I’m saying you’ve got more important things to think about,” Rusher said, getting to his feet. “There are too many details to running an artillery brigade—”
“Details I have designed!”
“And that’s the problem,” Rusher said, searching for his retail smile. “You worked so many complexities into this universe, Lord Daiman, that it’s hard for us lesser beings to cope. Not all organics are up to it.” He slapped his chest. “You created us specialists to manage these systems—and our own affairs—for greater efficiency. We’re like anything else you created to work your will,” he said, “just a little different.”
Rusher watched the Sith Lord, burning eyes still set on him. They really did look like the double stars outside. The brigadier stepped over to retrieve his cane. “And you know what’s really amazing?” he asked. “It all works . The variety you’ve designed into the universe is really something. Genius, really.” He looked back at Daiman. “As my lord knows.”
Daiman stood stone-silent amid the generals and Correctors.
At last, he spoke. “You have your assignments. Prepayments of ordnance and fuel are already being delivered to your ships.” He turned back toward the stairs. “Leave me.”
The sentries opened the doors outward. The generals didn’t waste any time stepping over the Togorian’s remains.
* * *
“Where’d you go ?”
Kerra lifted her mask and faced the Bothan, still bound to the round frame. He seemed perturbed by her disappearance; as annoyed as she’d been at his unwillingness to talk, earlier. He’d only agreed to trade information for his freedom, and only after he was freed. “I’m not in the business of helping Jedi,” he’d said.
I’m not in the business of freeing Sith spies , she’d thought.
Hearing approaching voices, she’d headed back into the hallway just in time to see Daiman’s procession depart the heptagonal temple, heading in the opposite direction.
If Daiman was at the front, she hadn’t been able to see him. But where else would he be? “Where is he going?”
“I can answer that,” the spy replied. “And you know how.”
Kerra groaned. Seeing no alternative, she came to a decision. “Hold on.”
“Wait! Whulp! ”
Kerra started the wheel moving again, careful not to upset anything as she rolled it through the storage area. The kitchen outside looked as though it had never produced a meal, and yet the larder was fully stocked with fresh food and shining cooking implements. While everyone outside works three shifts for a ration , she thought.
“Is this really necessary? Cut me down from this thing!”
“Just let me do this. There’s a way out of here, but you’re in no shape for sneaking around,” she said. “Now, about Daiman?”
The Bothan fumed. “He’s going to Gazzari,” he said, finally. “Aboard Era Daimanos .”
“Gazzari?” Kerra’s brow furrowed. She thought back on the intelligence reports she’d seen in the Republic.The world sat in a wedge of Daiman’s space between
“I’m … just doing … what you created me to do … ”
The pressure subsided slightly. Still suspended in midair, Rusher watched Daiman step toward him. Mismatched eyes looked up. “What?”
Rusher’s mind racing, his mouth moved to match. “Having autonomous forces was your idea. We were created for the purpose. Your purpose!”
Daiman lowered his hand, and his victim dropped violently to the floor. Blond eyebrows tilted in amusement. “ Tell me the purpose,” Daiman said, smirking.
Ignoring the shooting pain in his shin from the roughlanding, Rusher fought to get to his knees. “We look different. You can’t send your regular forces ahead to Gazzari without him sensing a trap—”
“Any ship can be disguised!”
“—and the truth is,” Rusher said, shifting gears, “you’d rather rent than own!”
“What in blazes are you talking about?”
“I’m saying you’ve got more important things to think about,” Rusher said, getting to his feet. “There are too many details to running an artillery brigade—”
“Details I have designed!”
“And that’s the problem,” Rusher said, searching for his retail smile. “You worked so many complexities into this universe, Lord Daiman, that it’s hard for us lesser beings to cope. Not all organics are up to it.” He slapped his chest. “You created us specialists to manage these systems—and our own affairs—for greater efficiency. We’re like anything else you created to work your will,” he said, “just a little different.”
Rusher watched the Sith Lord, burning eyes still set on him. They really did look like the double stars outside. The brigadier stepped over to retrieve his cane. “And you know what’s really amazing?” he asked. “It all works . The variety you’ve designed into the universe is really something. Genius, really.” He looked back at Daiman. “As my lord knows.”
Daiman stood stone-silent amid the generals and Correctors.
At last, he spoke. “You have your assignments. Prepayments of ordnance and fuel are already being delivered to your ships.” He turned back toward the stairs. “Leave me.”
The sentries opened the doors outward. The generals didn’t waste any time stepping over the Togorian’s remains.
* * *
“Where’d you go ?”
Kerra lifted her mask and faced the Bothan, still bound to the round frame. He seemed perturbed by her disappearance; as annoyed as she’d been at his unwillingness to talk, earlier. He’d only agreed to trade information for his freedom, and only after he was freed. “I’m not in the business of helping Jedi,” he’d said.
I’m not in the business of freeing Sith spies , she’d thought.
Hearing approaching voices, she’d headed back into the hallway just in time to see Daiman’s procession depart the heptagonal temple, heading in the opposite direction.
If Daiman was at the front, she hadn’t been able to see him. But where else would he be? “Where is he going?”
“I can answer that,” the spy replied. “And you know how.”
Kerra groaned. Seeing no alternative, she came to a decision. “Hold on.”
“Wait! Whulp! ”
Kerra started the wheel moving again, careful not to upset anything as she rolled it through the storage area. The kitchen outside looked as though it had never produced a meal, and yet the larder was fully stocked with fresh food and shining cooking implements. While everyone outside works three shifts for a ration , she thought.
“Is this really necessary? Cut me down from this thing!”
“Just let me do this. There’s a way out of here, but you’re in no shape for sneaking around,” she said. “Now, about Daiman?”
The Bothan fumed. “He’s going to Gazzari,” he said, finally. “Aboard Era Daimanos .”
“Gazzari?” Kerra’s brow furrowed. She thought back on the intelligence reports she’d seen in the Republic.The world sat in a wedge of Daiman’s space between
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